Chili pie and fake-and-bake chicken

On "Today's Kitchen," Jane Kirby of Real Simple shares two meals that are sure warm-up those cold winter nights we’re all craving this time of year.

Fake It, Don’t Make It Chili Pie

Ingredients
1 pound sweet Italian chicken sausage, casings removed
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 15-ounce cans kidney beans in sauce (such as Goya)
½ cup hot salsa
1 8 ½ -ounce box corn-bread mix (requires 1 egg and 1/3 cup milk)
1 cup shredded cheddar

Directions
Heat oven to 400°f. Cook the sausage over medium heat in an oven-safe skillet (such as cast iron), breaking up the meat until it’s no longer pink. Drain the fat. Add the chili powder and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the beans and salsa. Heat to boiling. Meanwhile, prepare the corn-bread mix according to the label directions. Stir in the cheddar. Remove the chili from the heat and spread the corn-bread batter over the chili. Place the skillet in the oven and bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 servings
Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
If made from scratch: 4 hours

Fake-and-Bake Fried Chicken

Ingredients
1 3 ½ -to 4-pound chicken, cut up and skin removed
1 cup ranch dressing
2 cups instant potato flakes

Directions 
Heat oven to 450 f. coat a baking sheet with vegetable cooking spray. Lightly brush the chicken pieces with the dressing, then roll in the potato flakes. Arrange on the baking sheet and place in oven. Turn down oven to 350 f and bake 25 minutes or until the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced with a fork.

Makes 4 servings
Hand-on time: 10 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
If made from scratch: 9 hours

Recipes courtesy of "Real Simple" magazine.

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